The Lausanne–Morges Strategic Mobility Plan aims to modernize and expand the public transportation network, particularly rail-based systems, to ensure faster, more efficient, and more sustainable connections between the region’s main urban centers.
It sets out long-term development directions by coordinating investments in public transport, road and bicycle infrastructure, urban development, and environmental protection measures. The document includes numerous mobility and urban planning projects eligible for federal co-financing and represents the fifth major update of this type of regional plan.
The mobility strategy within the PALM 2025 (Lausanne-Morges Agglomeration Project) is based on coherent principles of action, where infrastructure is integrated with urban development and environmental protection. The approach is tailored to a polycentric agglomeration, where housing, business areas, and points of interest are distributed across multiple urban centers.
Key challenges include the efficient integration of transport modes—public transport, active mobility (walking and cycling), and private cars—as well as improving the quality and safety of infrastructure for low-emission travel. Another key objective is the optimization and reduction of motorized traffic.
Overall, the strategy aims to achieve the region’s sustainable development goals by 2040 by promoting the use of public transportation, encouraging active mobility, and creating more attractive urban spaces. The focus is not only on travel efficiency but also on improving quality of life and traffic safety.
The strategy includes 89 mobility projects, with a total value of over 757 million Swiss francs (approximately EUR 827 million), for which federal co-financing is being sought for the period 2028–2032.
Rail transport as the backbone of mobility
A key pillar of the plan is the development of an efficient and competitive public transport system capable of encouraging the shift toward sustainable modes of travel.
To this end, the strategy aims to strengthen the existing rail network, expand major urban transport corridors—including metro, tram, and high-capacity bus lines—and improve local and regional connections. Modern intermodal hubs are also planned to facilitate quick transfers between different modes of transport.
Lausanne’s rail-based public transport network is already well-developed, including metro lines, regional trains, and rail connections that provide rapid links within the city and to the surrounding region. It plays an essential role in daily mobility, offering an efficient and sustainable alternative to road transport.
At the same time, the network is undergoing extensive development, with projects such as the reintroduction of the tram, the expansion of the metro, and the modernization of regional rail lines playing a central role in the mobility of the future. These investments are designed to streamline travel and enhance regional connectivity within an integrated, multimodal system.
The Lausanne Tram: The Return of an Essential Urban System
The plans for the development of urban rail transport also include the new tram network, which will bring this mode of transport back to the region after more than six decades.
The Lausanne Tramway Project is part of the Lausanne-Morges Agglomeration Project (PALM) and represents an essential component of urban mobility development. Following a lengthy legal process, the building permit became final in February 2020, and funding of approximately 367 million Swiss francs (400 million EUR) is provided by the canton and the Confederation, while local authorities contribute to the costs of associated urban developments.
The new tram line will connect the Lausanne-Flon intermodal hub (served by Metro lines 1 and 2) to Renens Station, covering a 4.6-kilometer route in approximately 14 minutes. The route includes 10 stations located about 500 meters apart to ensure high accessibility to the urban areas it traverses.
In a later phase, the line will be extended by another 3.1 km to Villars-Sainte-Croix. The project is supported by significant contributions from the city and the Canton of Vaud and is expected to become operational starting in 2027.
A major milestone in the evolution of Lausanne’s mobility system was recently reached with the unveiling of the first two TramLink trams, delivered by Swiss manufacturer Stadler and ready for testing prior to entering service. These vehicles are part of a contract for 10 trams, which will play an essential role in redefining mobility in Lausanne, contributing to the modernization of urban transport and the more efficient integration of the new tram network into the city’s public transport system.
Through investments in rail transport and the return of the tram as a central element of urban mobility, the Lausanne–Morges region is strengthening its path toward a future in which connectivity, sustainability, and quality of life become part of the same urban development network.
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